P^9 




TEXT TO NUMBER SEVEN , OF 

PRANG'S WAR PICTURES. 



''BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA.' 



NOVEMBER 25, 1863 



BOSTON: 
L. PRANG & CO 



615j3 



> (SHAJPTANOOGA. 



TJMONG the more important struggles for the 
I JL preservation of the Union on the one hand, 
and its dismemberment on the other, none stands 
out in a bolder or more picturesque light than the 
battle of Chattanooga, Tenn., which was fought 
Nov. 22-25, 1863, between the Confederates under 
Bragg, and the Union forces commanded by Grant. 
The opposing armies comprised the flower of 
American youth, seasoned by the experience of 
several campaigns, and organized, disciplined, and 
led by grnerals who had won their grades, in most 
cases, a' the cannon's mouth, and who, in at least 
three instances, were destined to tread the topmost 
round of the ladder of military fame. But here the 
parallel ends. The Confederates were equal if not 
superior in numbers, well supplied with food, and 
occupying a position of great natural strength, 



Chattanooga. 

made well-nigh impregnable by earthworks, rising 
tier above tier, on the eastern and southern side 
of the Union lines; while on their west and north, 
nearly all communication with the outer world was 
closed. The Union troops had been for some time 
on half rations, and were reduced to sharing the 
corn with their draught animals, of which more 
than ten thousand perished of starvation during the 
campaign. The troops had also suffered reverses 
at Chickamauga, and were somewhat dispirited. It 
seemed a mere question of days when the gray 
eagle soaring over the besieged force would swoop 
down upon the gaunt and hungry bluecoats in the 
valley. 

The venerable saying, " Brag is a good dog, but 
Holdfast 's a better one," was nevertheless to be 
again verified. General Thomas had ofiRcially re- 
ported, while yet Grant was afar off, " We will 
hold the town till we starve ! " 

At the time of the battle the situation was as 
follows : The town of Chattanooga, with a nominal 
population of 5,000, was nestled in one of the nu- 



Chattanooga. 

merous curves for which the Tennessee River is 
noted, and on its eastern bank. Opposite the town, 
on the east, and about three miles distant, ran a 
mountainous range, five hundred feet high, and 
fairly covered with tiniber ; this was called Mis- 
sionary Ridge. Southwest of Chattanooga towered 
Lookout Mountain, fifteen hundred feet above the 
river level. Both of these imposing positions were 
occupied by the Confederates, while half-way be- 
tween these points and the town a line of tem- 
porary works had been erected on high ground by 
the Union troops. On this line were several de- 
tached crests or knolls ; one of these, in the centre 
and about equidistant between the town and Mis- 
sionary Ridge, is called Orchard Knob. Above the 
town and connecting the line of Missionary Ridge 
with the Tennessee River, Is Chickamauga Creek, 
while farther to the southward and nearly parallel 
to the creek was the embankment of the Chatta- 
nooga and Cleveland Railroad, which penetrated the 
northern extremity of the ridge by a tunnel. The 
ground lying between the ridge and the town was 



Chattanooga. 

known as Chattanooga Valley, from the stream 
which runs through its centre. 

Upon assuming command, General Grant first 
gave attention to a plan initiated by General 
Thomas to open communication with Nashville via 
Bridgeport, a station on the railroad to which 
access had hitherto been barred by the enemy. 
This plan, with some modifications, was approved, 
and in a few days additional supplies reached Chat- 
tanooga, and the spirits of the Army of the Cum- 
berland rose in proportion. 

General Bragg did not view this change in the 
programme favorably, and sent Longstreet to attack 
the forces guarding what General Grant called his 
"cracker line." But Longstreet was repulsed by 
General Geary, and did not repeat the attack. 

On the 20th of November, re-enforcements under 
General Sherman arrived, and taking advantage of 
this and the fact that Bragg had detached a portion 
of his force. Grant, who had been preparing to 
move upon the Confederate position, issued the 
necessary orders. 



ChattanoogB. 

Sherman was to attack the enemy on his right, 
and advance to "the tunnel"; Hooker was directed 
to do the same on Bragg's left; and Thomas was 
expected to attack in the centre, as soon as the 
forces on the flanks became engaged. 

On account of excessive rains and other unfore- 
seen obstacles, the plan was slightly modified, and 
on the 23d, Thomas was directed to open the ball 
with Granger's corps (the divisions of Wood and 
Sheridan) and Palmer's corps (the divisions of Baird 
and Johnson) on the right. After a brisk engage- 
ment, lasting all day, the enemy was driven back 
on his left for more than a mile. 

On the 24th, Sherman's force crossed the Ten- 
nessee and attacked the enemy's right under cover 
of a mist. They reached the top of the ridge, but 
after two or three attempts to drive the Confeder- 
ates from that point, were forced to intrench and 
take breath. On the same day. General Hooker 
had attacked Lookout Mountain, "fought the battle 
above the clouds," gained an important foothold on 
the eastern slope, and captured some 2,000 prisoners. 



Chattanooga. 

The morning of the next day, Nov. 25, dawned 
brightly upon the battle-field. At sunrise, Sherman 
made a vigorous attack upon the enemy's right 
flank and rear, threatening Bragg's communications 
and gaining some advantage ; but the natural and 
artificial defences were so strong and the resistance 
so stout that, after severe fighting, lasting nearly 
all day, the Union forces at this point of the line 
were barely holding their own. General Grant now 
ordered a diversion in Sherman's favor, by a charge 
of Thomas's troops in the centre and immediately 
in front of Orchard Knob. Hooker's operations on 
the right had not been so unobstructed as antici- 
pated, and his troops had been delayed four pre- 
cious hours in crossing Chattanooga Creek, as the 
enemy in retiring had burned the bridges. 

General Grant says in this period of the fight: 
*' Sheridan's and Wood's divisions had been lying 
under arms from early in the morning, ready to 
move the instant the signal was given. I directed 
Thomas to order the charge at once. The enemy 
was strongly intrenched on the crest of the ridge 



Chattanooga. 

in front of us, and had a second line half-way down, 
and another at the base. Our men drove the troops 
in front of the lower line of rifle pits so rapidly, 
and followed them so closely, that rebel and Union 
troops went over the first line of works almost at 
the same time. Many rebels were captured and 
sent to the rear under the fire of their own friends 
half-way up the hill.* Without awaiting further 
orders or stopping to re-form, on our troops went 
to the second line of works, over that and on for 
the crest. I watched their progress with intense 
interest. The fire along the rebel line was terrific ; 
cannon and musket balls filled the air." General 
Howard says of this sight : " The enemy fly up the 
ridge without stopping to re-form. With no par- 
ticular namable formation, in squads, with flags 
now drooping, now fallen, again uplifted, the men, 

* Note. — General Whipple (who was General Thomas's chief-of- 
staff) says that he was carrying an order to General Wood at this time, 
and met numbers of the enemy running toward him in a very headlong 
and demoralized manner, without their guns : they were making haste to 
get away from the fire of their own people higher up the hill, and sought 
safety behind the advancing Federals. 

7 



Chattanooga. 

with no more orders, followed by their officers, 
move on up, up the ridge. Batteries upon the 
crest bear upon them and burst the shells over 
their heads, and cross-musketry fire from the rifle 
trenches on the heights kills some and wounds 
others, but our men do not stop until they have 
fully crowned the summit of this angry mountain 
and turned the enemy's guns to fire in another 
direction, — upon his own fragments." General 
Grant says of this moment : " General Thomas, with 
his staff, General Gordon Granger, commander of 
the corps making the assault, and myself and staff, 
occupied Orchard Knob, from which the entire 
field could be observed." 

TAzs is the scene which the artist, M. de Thul- 
strupy has successfully depicted. 

In the group of three figures in the left fore- 
ground will be recognized the compact form of 
General Grant lifting his field-glass to his eye; on 
his left stands General Granger; while the heroic 
proportions of General Thomas, then newly chris- 
tened the " Rock of Chicamauga," stand out boldly 



Chattanooga. 

against the horizon. Near this historic trio may be 
seen a signal officer vainly endeavoring to commu- 
nicate with General Sherman, for whose relief the 
attack immediately in front has been made. Far- 
ther in rear stand officers of the staff in attendance 
upon the principal commanders. To the right is 
the corps headquarters flag and color-guard with 
their horses. 

The battle of Chattanooga was full of those inci- 
dents peculiar to war, but which are too often 
overshadowed by the important results of the opera- 
tions of which they are not the least interesting 
part. The limited space available here permits but 
a passing allusion to one or two occurrences of 
this nature. 

The signal for the charge of Sheridan's and 
Wood's divisions was the firing of six guns from 
Orchard Knob. The first gun was aimed at a 
point on the centre of the ridge believed to be 
Bragg's headquarters ; it was afterwards learned that 
this shot blew up a Confederate caisson. 

General Whipple was carrying an order from 



Chattanooga. 

Orchard Knob. Just as the advancing line had 
carried the rifle-pits at the foot cf the ridge, he 
encountered two men carrying a wounded officer of 
an Ohio regiment. Whipple, who wore the uniform 
of a brigadier-general, was surprised at the saluta- 
tion from the occupant of the stretcher, of " How 
are you, Lieute^iant 1 '' It proved to be a former 
private of Whipple's company in the Third Infantry 
of the Regular Army, who, while leading his brave 
volunteers up the ridge, had been hit in the leg. 

General Howard relates a pathetic incident. After 
the last charge, four stout men carried a sergeant 
to the rear. They stopped to rest. E. P. Smith, 
then of the Christian Commission, drew near the 
stretcher, and speaking kindly, asked, " Where are 
you hurt, sergeant 1 " He answers, " Almost up, 
sir." "I mean, in what part are you injured?" He 
fixes his eye on the speaker, and answers again, 
"Almost up to the top." Just then Mr. Smith 
uncovers his arm, and sees the frightful shattering 
wound of the shell that struck him. " Yes," he 
says, turning his eye thither, " that 's what did it. 



Chattanooga. 

I was almost up : but for that I should have reached 
the top." The sergeant was bearing the flag when 
he was hit. He died with the fainter and fainter 
utterance of "Almost up," while his companions on 
the heights he almost reached were echoing the 
cheers of the triumph that he would have so much 
enjoyed. 

General Sheridan with characteristic ardor had 
led his division in person, and says that, on arriving 
at the top of the hill on horseback, he was looking 
along the parapet to find a place to jump his horse 
over the works ; some of the Confederates, unable 
to get away, thrust the buts of their muskets 
toward him in token of surrender. Suddenly, the 
general felt himself seized from behind, and nearly 
pulled off his horse. It proved to be one of his 
own colonels, who, thinking that his commander 
was needlessly exposing himself, adopted this un- 
ceremonious way to save his life. 

By universal testimony, the completeness of 
the success at Missionary Ridge was due to the 
promptness with which Sheridan, without specific 



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013 702 497 4 



Chattanooga. 

orders, pursued the enemy after the crest had been 
carried. 

It has been estimated that the forces actually 
engaged numbered 45,000 Confederate and 55,000 
Union soldiers; the advantage in position would be 
considered, however, as giving the Southern side 
superior numbers. Grant's casualties were 757 
killed, 4,529 wounded, and 330 missing; total, 5,616. 
Bragg's loss was nearly 10,000 in all, of which num- 
ber more than 6,000 were captured, together with 
40 pieces of artillery and 7,000 small arms. 

The battle of Chattanooga was one of the most 
important events of the year, which comprised in 
its history the great achievements of Vicksburg and 
• Gettysburg. 



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